Over 2,500 M politicians have gathered for the party's "Sweden Meeting" in Stockholm this weekend. There they will be encouraged and will practice their arguments ahead of the election campaign.
The fact that the Tidö parties are clearly behind in the opinion polls does not make the campaign leadership lose heart.
There is a big difference between poll numbers and election results. In the 2022 election year, we were behind every single day in the opinion polls, but we won the election, says Martin Borgs.
Another reason for M's optimism is that everything indicates that the election campaign will be dominated by economic issues. According to the party's own analyses, voters think that the Moderates are the best in that area.
"We will run an election campaign at home," says Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M).
No boost
Among other things, the Moderates are campaigning on the premise that Sweden will have the highest GDP per capita in the EU within ten years.
The Moderates also see the fight against crime as one of their strongest assets. But despite the economy and crime being high on the political agenda for several years, the Moderates have not received any real boost in public opinion.
In the last election, M was only the third largest party, and now the party is even lower, at just under 18 percent according to the combined results.
Reaching more women is seen as crucial. To attract them and others, the party now wants to change the image of the Moderates.
M should not be seen as a party that favours high-income earners, harsher punishments and nuclear power. Instead, it is a party for "hard-working people", safer streets and a stable electricity supply.
There are some Swedes who still think that the Moderates are a party for those who have, rather than for those who are diligent and want to work and make an effort, says Martin Borgs.
No new dress code
The Sweden meeting also highlights the importance of not having a harsh and aggressive tone, and of talking more about people's everyday lives.
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard believes that we need to be much better at communicating how Sweden's policies benefit women.
Sometimes people stop at the message that "now we lock up the criminals." We need to get better at explaining why - that the criminals are locked up so that we can feel safe.
Under former party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt, M also wanted to change its image. At that time, it was about putting aside attributes such as pearl necklaces in favour of a more popular image.
"This whole thing with the pearl necklace was a bit excessive," says Martin Borgs now.
"On the contrary, we encourage everyone to dress in what they feel comfortable in."
